According to DANE, the department has a percentage of 19.0% in moderate or severe prevalence, and 2.4 severe, compared to food insecurity. La Guajira, Sucre, Atlántico and Magdalena, s had the highest prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity. In Colombia, 27 out of 100 urban households had restrictions to access food.
Newspaper of Huila, Huila
By: Gloria Camargo
The lack of money and inflation have had a significant impact on the quality of life of Colombian families during the last year.
According to the report ‘Food Insecurity Experience Scale, FIES, 2022’ from the National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE), approximately 28% of families were forced to reduce the quantity and quality of food consumed at least once in the last 12 months.
The data revealed in the report is alarming. At the national level, it is estimated that around 15,560,000 Colombians, almost twice the population of Bogotá, consume less than three meals a day, and more than 2,600,000 have nothing to eat.
The Food Security Indicator shows that severe food insecurity affects 4.9% of households in Colombia. This means that in approximately 5% of households, at least one person has gone an entire day without eating due to lack of financial or other resources in the last 12 months.
The lack of money, added to inflation and the increase in the cost of agricultural production, have made it more difficult to access the purchase of food.
Furthermore, the report also reveals significant disparities between urban and rural areas. While 27% of households in municipal seats experienced moderate or severe food insecurity, this prevalence increased to 33% in rural households. This shows that rural communities are particularly vulnerable and face greater challenges in terms of food security.
a hungry country
According to the results of the report, it was identified that several departments in Colombia face high prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity. La Guajira leads the list with an alarming 59.7%, followed by Sucre with 47.9%, Atlántico with 46.1%, Magdalena with 45.3%, Chocó with 43.2% and Cesar with a 41.1%.
In these mentioned departments, more than 40% of households have experienced difficulties in obtaining adequate food in the last 12 months.
On the other hand, there are some departments that present lower prevalences of moderate or severe food insecurity. Caldas registers 14.6%, San Andrés 17.2%, Quindío 17.3%, Risaralda 17.5%, Amazonas 18.6% and Huila 19.0%.
These data show that in these places the situation is relatively better compared to other departments of the country. However, it is important to highlight that there is still a significant percentage of households (between 14% and 19%) that face food insecurity and require ongoing care and support.
Departmental evaluation
The report presented by the Department shows that Huila has a moderate or severe prevalence of food insecurity of 19.0%, while the severe prevalence is 2.4%.
These data refer to food security in households throughout the department, and it is important to take into account that at the national level the prevalence is 28.1%. This indicates that Huila is below the national average in terms of food insecurity.
The analysis carried out focused on different household characteristics to determine the prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity.
Severe food insecurity affects 4.9% of households in Colombia.
Aspects such as the size of the household, the presence of minors, the elderly or people with disabilities, the housing deficit and whether they are beneficiaries of government subsidies or aid were taken into account. Comparisons were also made at the national level and in urban and rural areas.
Regarding the size of the households, it was observed that the prevalence of food insecurity increases as the size of the household increases. For example, at the national level, four out of every 100 one-person households experienced moderate or severe food insecurity, a figure that is statistically the same as that for two-person households.
However, the prevalence of food security decreases to 40 out of every 100 households when the size of the household is greater than five people.
These data demonstrate the importance of taking household size into account when addressing food insecurity. Larger households face greater challenges in ensuring adequate food, highlighting the need for specific policies and programs that address these needs and promote food security in all segments of the population.
production and costs
The Secretary of Departmental Agriculture, Dilberto Trujillo, affirmed that in general Huila has the capacity to supply food to its population, although not in its entirety. He mentioned that the department is not a large producer of vegetables, which are imported from other regions such as Nariño and Cundinamarca. However, during the crisis or the peak of the pandemic, they managed to feed their population satisfactorily.
Prevalence of household food insecurity: moderate or severe, and severe (%). National total and departments. Year 2022
Trujillo stressed that the Dane report shows that poverty is what prevents people from having access to food.
He pointed out that a balanced diet requires both animal and vegetable protein, but low-income people, not only in Huila but throughout the country, cannot afford to have a balanced diet.
This can lead to malnutrition and severe nutritional problems, especially in children. Access to food is a limitation to achieve total food security in the country.
Regarding costs, Trujillo mentioned that inflation has especially hit the price of food. However, in recent times a decrease in prices has been observed, which has helped people to consume a greater diversity of foods. “This can help reduce the access gap that exists in the popular sectors,” he mentioned.
For her part, Beatriz Piedad Urdinola explained that when speaking of “serious” food insecurity it means that people literally experience hunger.
This indicates an extreme situation in which a lack of resources prevents people from meeting their basic food needs. In contrast, “moderate” food insecurity refers to situations in which people inadvertently reduce amounts of food or skip meals due to lack of financial resources.
Prevalence of household food insecurity: moderate or severe.